What if...
...your children could attend the school that is best for him or her.
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If
you are a parent of a school-age child, you are no doubt very concerned
about the quality of education offered in your local public schools.
You may feel that the school in your attendance area is not the best
option for your child for one or more of a variety of reasons. Like
other parents, you attend parent teacher conferences, information
sessions, School Board meetings, and are active in the PTO. Still you
feel a great deal of frustration with your local schools and feel you
have little if any influence over what happens there.
You are
also concerned about the cost of that education in the form of your
property taxes. You may feel as if the taxes are too high relative to
the quality of or influence over the school that you receive in return
for your significant tax payment. When the School Board votes to
eliminate art and music due to budget shortfalls while also spending
thousands more on athletics, you feel betrayed. But what are your
options?
You could enroll your child in a private school, or
home school, and perhaps you do, but you still have to support your
local public school. If you choose not to utilize the local public
school, you essentially pay twice to educate your children.
The
Libertarian approach would put an end to public education, or at the
very least compulsory funding of public education, and public schools,
if any were to exist, would have to compete with all other schools for
your tuition dollars. You benefit in two significant ways.
FIrst,
you do not have to pay twice to educate your child. Second, by having
the freedom of choice as regards your child's education, you are able
to choose the school that best meets your child's needs and your
priorities and expectations for an ideal school program. Everyone has
control over their children's educaton and the cost of their children's
education. If public schools are to survive they will have to be the
best schools available at least for certain children.
Delving a little deeper...